Sen. Richard Lugar (R, In) Does Not Engage in Craven Pandering to the Radical Right and Loses His Primary Election

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R, Ut) Does Engage in Craven Pandering to the Radical Right and is Expected to Win His Primary

So, Mr. Lugar is a Winner, Mr. Hatch is a Loser

The radical right wing of the Republican party engineered a massive defeat to Sen.Richard Lugar in Indiana in his bid for the nomination for another six year term.

Results early Tuesday night showed state Treasurer Richard Mourdock leading the six-term senator 61 percent to 39 percent with 40 percent of precincts reporting. The Associated Press has called the race for Mourdock.

No one should have mistaken Mr. Lugar for a moderate, he was a strong Conservative and held strongly Conservative views and voted in a strongly Conservative manner.  But he was not a radical, he didn’t fill his speeches with vitriolic diatribes against those who disagreed with him, and he gave the impression that he was thoughtful and considerate.  That is something that radical Conservatives just will not tolerate.

Democrats have said they believe that they now have a chance to win the Senate seat in Indiana.  This is pure fantasy.  Indiana will be a strong Republican state in the fall.  Mr. Romney may well win 60% or more of the vote.  That will easily carry the Republican nominee for the Senate to victory.  And the Senate will be even more dysfunctional.

But Mr. Lugar can contrast his performance quite favorably with that of Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah.  Sen. Hatch, sensing a Conservative revolt against him largely abandoned any principles of government that he possessed and has been campaigning for over a year as a remade radical.  He has set the standard for pandering to hard line Conservatives, and so he is largely assured a victory in his primary fight next month.

But in losing his race Mr. Lugar is the winner and in winning his race Mr. Hatch will be a loser.  Mr. Lugar did not change who he was, he did not bow to political hypocrisy and he will leave the Senate with his stature and dignity in tact.  As for Mr. Hatch, at some time in the future  he will just plain leave.  Good riddance.